Lest We Forget

Last Sunday marked the day, 65 years ago, (August 28, 1945) that American paratroopers landed on Japanese soil. A force of 5,000 boys contemplated landing alone on the land of a fierce enemy who outnumbered them in the thousands. Imagine for a moment the overwhelming fear that rode in that C-47 with them. Yet, they went to do their duty. Then think of the Japanese that were there to meet them. Told, that the war was over and thinking of how these Americans had defeted their army on Okinawa, Manila, Attu, and the bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Yet they did not attack! Why? For the same reason that our boys were there, duty, honor and tradition. Have we forgotten those words? Do they have meaning? Do we even know how to do our duty, to honor, value, obey, and respect the traditions of our land. Isn't it time to speak of these things again? Will we be the generation that forgets the sacrifices of those men and women? We must in the words of General Douglas McArthur, "rise up and strike!" We must act, do something, or see our way of life go the way of the Dodo!
All Hail and Glory to those who saved our world in the past, give strength to those who would save it now.

Father's Day

This Blog was written on Sunday, June 20 2010

Here's to you, on Father's Day! As a father who had a great role model for a father, I want to salute you for the job you do. I don't have to tell you how much work you do to protect and care for your family. The sacrifices you make on a daily basis to keep the peace and maintain the continuous flow of love in the home. You get up every day and face a hostile world so that your family can live a style of life that provides opportunities that you never had. You put up with decisions and behavior at your workplace that you have no control over so that you can give to your loved ones.

Others may show their respect once a year with a gift or a card by the rest of the year your efforts seem to be overlooked. You will go to your grave and be thought of as some footnote in the family history book. BUT WE KNOW! We know the courage it takes to face the world every day, to stand tall for your family even when you are frightened. To be in charge ALL the time when all you want some times is just to let someone else take the responsibility for awhile.

We don't form friendships easily, we don't join artificial support groups. We watch those we do call friends disappear one by one until we are alone! But remember, WE KNOW! Your brothers know, your fathers know, you know. The Brotherhood of Fathers know! You are not invisible, you are appreciated and respected by the rest of us.

So, happy Father's Day. Have a day of pride in your accomplishments, and you dreams. Teach your sons the arcane mysteries of Fatherhood and leave a legacy and a legend for those who come after you.

LIFE IS NOT EASY!

It seems to me that the "K Rails" are getting closer to the fenders of my life! It has been several years since my retirement and you might expect that life's exigencies would have gotten less not more. Nothing could be less accurate. One of my chief obstacles is the modification of this blog. All I want to do is upload a collection of pictures so that you, dear reader, may have some insight or enjoyment to share with me. After sixty fun filled minutes I am no closer to accomplishing that task than when I started. So, you say, grow up, it's only part of the learning curve. However, dear friends, that curve does not lead anywhere! It is, I believe, more of a learning maze that in no way leads to success. I tend to fight the notion that technology is a super power in favor that, if some monkey can write the directions, I (mere mortal) should be able to follow them. I object however when the monkeys either don't write the directions or hide them from me. So, let me appeal to you, other mere mortals, to assist me. All I want to do is place a collection of pictures I have taken into this blog space for public access. If you know how, and can give me directions (using words of one syllable), please write me. Thank you.

Summer Time

Well they don't call it June gloom for nothing! I suffer when ever there is more than 2 or 3 days of overcast weather, so you can imagine how I feel about Summer. Summer is filled with family birthdays (we all seem to be Leos) We have more family get togethers, outdoor activities, and vacations. The city of Claremont has "Music in the Park" on Monday and the Police dept. sponsors Bar B Que in the park on Thursdays.
We all come from "education worker" backgrounds, which means we are all used to taking our vacations in the summer. I remember taking off for a month in July to travel with my mom and dad across the "Mother Road" Highway 66 all the way to New York. We did not have air conditioning so we would have to travel at night with one of those canvas water bag hanging from the front bumper. (How many know what a bumper is?) I still have a yen once in a while for the taste of cool canvas flavored water in the summer time.
I have always had the best times in the Summer. The best was the summer after I graduated from Glendale High School. I spent almost every day on the beach at Huntington. A great time was getting a group of kids and going up to "Pipeline" for a night dinner and, well, whatever. I got so tan that my girlfriend's father didn't recognize me from the Spring. He was a jackass!
The end of Summer meant getting in shape for Football. Run, run, run, was the schedule every day. My mother would stand on the track with a stopwatch and shout out lap times. Great!
Today I have more options than I did than, I don't have to swelter in the heat of the Inland Valley, or suffer the humidity of the coast. I gather the clan and off we go up the coast in the RV to seek cooler climes. We eat the cheeses of Tillimook and Cache Valley. We drink the wines of California, Oregon and Washington. Mybe even catch a willing Salmon up near Whistler in British Colombia. What I am saying is that it doesn't matter which way we go. It"s Summer Time,

What Courage It Must Have Taken!

As I sit here, on the eve of the anniversary of D-Day June 6th 1944. I think of what it must have been like to have been there. I don’t have to imagine too much because I do have recollections of that time. I was four years old and in the dawning of independent thought. I remember that our house was unusually quiet. I don’t remember the news broadcasts on the radio nor could I read the newspaper accounts, but I do remember seeing flights of airplanes in the sky and so many young men in uniforms everywhere my parents took me.
As I think about those people, I can’t help but think “how brave they all were”. I was conceived four years earlier when the outcome of the World War was in no way a forgone conclusion. These people took a chance in faith that their country would provide safe haven for their new family. As it turned out I was to be my mother’s only child but nevertheless, I think of myself as a symbol of their courage.
June 6th has a special meaning to me. It is my mom’s birthday. She has passed on now but during her life, in her own unassuming way, she inspired everyone with that spirit and belief that things would be better. She worked with my father to support their families in Mexico and Spain and provided me with the special gifts of learning and travel. I was brought into the world of adults and y ideas were treated with respect. My mom was the sweetest person I ever met, she loved my father with a fierce passion and loved me so much that she never hesitated to sacrifice for me. We would go out for dinner and have lemon meringue pie for dessert. She new I liked the lemon but did not like the crust. She always pretended to “love” the crust and gave me the lemon.
She loved everyone. She wanted a little girl and God played a rotten trick on her by giving her me. When I brought my bride to be to meet her you could almost hear the sucking sound as my mom just pulled her into her world of love. She loved our boys and loved their kids.
Thanks mom for taking a chance in those war years so long ago and for bringing that spirit forward into our lives.

It's the Economy - Stupid!

It has been awhile since my last comments, but because of the tremendous demand, I am back with words of wisdom and wonder. (I wonder about the wisdom of them) I have recently been attending Pitzer College. I have just finished a class called Anthropological History: 1492 to the present. I wonder how many of us understand the evolution of capitalism? It is clear, if one studies American history, that now more than ever, we need a strong leader in government and a change in the direction this country and the world is going if we ever hope to return the greatness we once knew. I don't think it matters much if you belong to one party or another, conservative or liberal, what ever that means in today's society. As long as we return to the Progressive ideals we embraced in the 1920s. We are a rich country that can't pay our bills. We love to produce innovations and great inventions and our people are loosing their jobs. We rejoice in being players on the larger world chessboard and we reject the opinions of our one time allies. We fear and defend immigrants on our Southern boarder while the greater illegal immigration comes in from the North and West. We cry about air pollution and global warming and still refuse to sign the Kyoto accord or enforce laws that would put regulation on industry. Like many of you, I watch my hard earned savings go up in smoke because of GREED and the TOLERANCE OF GREED. A retirement filled with well earned rest and activity is not so slowly being erased while those who caused this economic turn down take bailout money and go on vacations or give themselves bonuses. We all need to do our part! Just don't sit there in front of your computer, write someone. Send a note to that deadbeat Congressman of yours. Find out what your union, or church or The League of Women Voters, or your political party is doing about it and GET INVOLVED! Send me a reaction to this rant. If you have any ideas let us know

Ceramics: Hobby or Blood Lust?

As you can probably see, I like and make pottery. It all started when I was contemplating retirement and wondering what I would do to keep busy. My wife suggested taking up pottery because the studio was next to the jewelry workshop where she went. Being the obedient man that I am I went. We all know that "if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." Little did I know that it would become one of my most happy activities. I sometimes feel that if you were to open on of my veins, you would find clay slip instead of blood. I have been "throwing" for about six years. I go to the studio at least three times a week and wish there were more days in the week so that I could go more often. I love my kids and grand kids, my wife is my best friend, skiing is the most fun you can have with your clothes on, and golf is the Devil's curse! I tell you this because if I can get some of you retired people to try something new I know you would never regret it. Remember the advice we learned on M*A*S*H, "Listen my children, hear my advice. Pull down your pants, and slide on the ice.